Draft-rigging for railway-cars



(N o Model.) l 5 Sheets-Sheath' 7 DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

PatentedV 61,-.-1-8955 lilltidul, l Wm.;

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets--Sheet 2.

G. A. SCHROYER. DRAFT RIGGING PoR RAILWAY GARS.

No.` 544,009. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

(No Modell) n v I 5 Sheetesheet A3.4

' G. A. SCHROYER.I

DRAPT'RIGGING FOR RAILWAY GARS.

No. 544,009. Patented Augv."6 1895.

yrayer (Ne Medel.) e 5 sheets-.sheet 4I SCHROYBR. 'DRAFT' RIGGING 'POR'RAILWAY GARS. Ne. 544,009. Peteneed Aeg. 6,1895.

Sheets-Sheet 5.

(Na Model.)A

0. A. SGHROYBR. DRAFT RIGGING'POR RAILWAY CARS.

Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

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@Aralar OFA CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

vDRAFT-RIGGlNG FOR RAILWAY-fCARS.l

SPECIFZCCAEIION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,009, dated August6, 1895.

Application filed March 10, 1893.

vand passenger cars, and will be so described.

In the case of freight-cars equipped-with automatic couplers itfrequently happens that when the cars are being or have been coupledtogether the dead-wood or buffer-blocks do not come into contact, whichis objectionable for many reasons,among others becauseit compels thecouplers to stand all of the strains and shocks incident to coupling andbuffing.

The same is true in the case of passenger-cars, which are frequently soconstructed that when they are being or have been coupled together` thespring-buers do not come into contact.

The object therefore of my invention is to provide means for affordingsuch movement to the draft-bars, draw-heads, and couplers as will permitof the engagement or contact of the dead-wood or buffer-blocks orspring-buffers in coupling'or operating the cars. Furthermore, thesedevices are so arranged that while they afford sufficient inward moti'onto bring the buffer-blocks or spring-buffers into contact the Ioutwardmotion is limited, so as to prevent the draw-bar moving farther thandesired in that direction.

My invention therefore consists in the features, combinations, anddetails of construction hereinafter more specifically described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of aportion of one end ofa freight-car equipped With my improvements, takenon line l of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan View of the devices shown insectionin Fig. l; Fig. 3, a section taken on line 3 of Fig. l; Fig. It,a side elevation of one of the draft-irons removed from the car, showingalso its means of attachment and support, the.; Fig. 5, a section online 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a view similar to that in Fig. l, illustratingthe application of my device toa car equipped with the Miller buffer;Fig. 7, a plan view of the draft-bar, dsc., shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8, asection on line 8 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9, a view similar to those given inFigs. 1 and 6, illustrating the appli- Serial No. 465,463. (No model.)

cation of my device to a car equipped with an equaliZing-plate orextended buffer, being a section taken on line 9 of Fig. 1l; Fig. 10, asection on line 10 of Fig. 9; and Fig. 1l a plan sectional View of thedevices shown in Figs. 9 and 10, all of the sections being taken in thedirections indicated by the respective arrows.

The'longitudinal sills A, end sill B, and buffer'or dead-wood blocks C,together with the other parts of the car not herein particu larlydescribed, may be made in any of the well-known manners and bythemselves require no particular description.

Carried by the longitudinal sillsare the draft-irons D. Thesedraft-irons are preferably constructed in the form shown moreparticnlarly in Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawings. On their opposing facesthey areprovided with an upper horizontal web or ange D and a bottom orcarrier strap or iron D2, and also have vertical webs D3, wherebypockets E E E2 are formed. The iiange D is preferably made integral withthe draft-iron, while the carrier-iron is made removable, being securedin place by suitable bolts, the purpose of this being to allow of theready insertion and removal of the follower-plates, (Src. It ispreferably turned up at its ends, as shown, and thereby more securelyfastened to the draftiron. The draft-irons arefurther provided withflanges dd cl2, the two latter being preferably connected by webs d3.The purpose of these flanges is to aid in securing the device firmly tothe longitudinal sills by means of both horizontally and verticallyrunning bolts. Straps or braces F, preferably of the shape shown in thedrawings,are bent around the under side of the draft-irons and then bentup and extended to the longitudinal sills, this brace and the draft-ironbeing secured to .these sills by means of boltsf. The pockets E E E2must be so proportioned to each other as to accomplish the purposeshereinafter pointed out.

The coupling-hook G may be made in any desired form, and by itself formsno part of my invention.

The draft-irons are secured to the longitudinal sills at suitablepoints, and the shank of the draw-bar is extended back in any suitablemanner, as by means of a bolt or rod H, provided with a suitable key h.Mounted on IOO this portion of the draw-bar are three followerplates I II2, these follower-plates being more preferably of the form shown inFig. 3--that is, being provided with wings or lugs t' vl i2, adapted toengage with and slide in the pockets E E E2, respectively, as shownparticularly in Fig. 5. Mounted upon the draftbar, between the plates Iand l', are two spiral springs .I J', and between the follower-plates I12 springs K K are similarly mounted. I prefer to use two springs ineach instance,but I do not consider it essential.

Secured to the draf t-riggin g, both above and below thefollower-plates, are plates L L', the purpose of which is to excludedust and dirt from the draft-rigging- 'lhese plates are shown as securedin place by the bolts which are used to secure the carrier-irons, butthey maybe attached in any other manner desired.

This device operates as follows: Let us suppose that in order to bringthe dead-wood blocks C (shown in the drawings) into contact with thesimilar blocks on the next adjacent car, it is necessary for the couplerG to be moved toward the right, Fig. l, a distance of four inches and ahalf. In this case I should prefer that the parts of the device shouldbe so constructed that the springs should afford the coupler five ormore inches play, as follows: As the coupler is forced back, the springsy the follower-plates I I' will both be moved` back a distance of twoinches, at which time the latter follower-plate will contact with thewebs D3 at the right-hand end of the pocket E', in which it moves,therebypreventing any further compression of the springs K K. As thedraw-bar moves in the bolt or rod I-I will slide freely through theplate I2; but when the draw-bar is moved outward this plate will bedrawn toward the left, but all motion of the coupler will be stoppedwhen the follower I2 strikes against the forward end of its pocket, andthe length of the pocketshould therefore be such as to prevent too greatan outward motion of the draw-bar and coupler.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 I have shown my invention and improvements asapplied to a passenger-coupler provided with a Miller buffer. Thecoupler G may, as in the case of the freight-coupler, be made in anydesired form. The rod, bar,or bolt H, forming the rearward portion ofthe draw-bar, is secured to the for Ward portion by means of a bolt g,so as to permit the forward portion to swing from side to side, ashereinafter described. I provide draft-irons, provided with pockets andfollower-plates, substantially the same in construction as those alreadydescribed in discnssing the freight attachments. In fact, all portionsof the device when applied to passenger-couplers are made, applied, andoperated in substantially the same manner as they are when used inconnection with the freightcoupler. cured to the longitudinal ordrai'tsills at any suitable points.

M is the buffer of the ordinary Miller type.

In order to afford the draw-bar the lateral motion necessary forcoupling or nncoupling and afford lateral movement to car-body upon acurve, I pivotaily connect the forward portion of the draw-bar to therearward portion thereof, as already described, and to support theforward portion G' of this bar I provide a hanger or stirrup N, which,as is evident from Fig. S, will allow the bar to play to a certainextcntsidewise. To hold the bar in a normally-central position I providesprings O.

The only difference between the construction of my improvements asapplied to freightcars and as applied to passenger-cars is a possiblechange in the dimensions of the parts. For instance, when applying thedevice to a passenger-car I may desire more or less motion than whensuch devices are applied to a freight-car, depending upon the relativeadjustment ofthe coupler and the buffer. It will be evident, however,that by adjusting the sizes of the pockets and the strength of thesprings I can provide for any desired motion, and since I have givenmore or less precise instructions in reference to the freight-coupler Ido not consider it necessary to be precise when speaking of thepassenger-coupler, the information already given having been sufficientto enable any one skilled in this art to manufacture and apply myimprovements.

In the last three figures I have shown my improvements as applied to acar equipped with an extended bufferplate I), supported upon rods Q' Q2and contacting with a third rod Q, these rods being provided withsuitable springs. In all other respects the devices shown in these guresare similar to those shown in the preceding figures and require noparticular description, the object being the same as that alreadydescribed-to wit', t0 aord suiiicient longitudinal motion to thccouplers and draw-bars to insure the buffers being brought into contactwhile preventing too great an outward movement.

From the construction already described it will be obvious that inbuffing both the springs will be compressed, but when, however, thedraw-bar is drawn outward only the rearward spring will be compressed,since the followerplate I', resting normally at the left-hand end of itspockets in the draft-irons, the only plate that can be moved will be thefollowerplate I2, and, consequently, only the rearward springs will becompressed. These springs may be the stronger ones, but not necessarilyso, since it is obvious that the parts might be so proportioned andadjusted that the stronger spring or springs would be in front and theweaker behind. Again, it is not necessary that the springs should be ofdifferent strength, inasmuch as they might be com- The draft-irons inthis form are se- ICO IIO

pressed simultaneously, the important feature being that the device isso constructed as to allow, say, live inches inward movement fromthenormal position, but, say, only two inches outward movement from thisposition. Of course, when the springs are of equal strength both will becompressed on the inward movement, but only one, which may be eitherone, upon the forward movement. By this means I provide a simple andeflcient device, which is capable of ready application, and by meanswhereof I insure the contacting of the deadwood or bufferl blocks orspring-buffers under all conditions, but which device is so constructedas to prevent too great an outward movement of the couplers anddraw-bars; and while I have shown more or less precise forms I do notintend to unduly limit myself thereto, but contemplate all properchanges in form, proportion, and the substitution of equivalent membersthat may be desirable or necessary.

I claim- 1. The combination ofa draw bar, draft irons provided withpockets, follower plates mounted upon the draw bar and moving in suchpockets, and two springs of unequal length mounted between such followerplates on the draw bar, the'parts being proportioned substantially asdescribed, whereby the draw bar is allowed to move inward to an extentequal substantially to the sum of the compression distance of the twosprings, but is allowed to move outward only to an extent substantiallyequal to the compression distance of one of such springs, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of a'buffer, a draw bar, draft irons secured to thedraft timbers and provided with pockets, follower plates mounted on thedraw bar and traveling in such pockets, and two springs mounted upon thedraw bar between the follower plates, the parts being arranged andproportioned'substantially as described, whereby when the draw bar ismoved in both of the springs will be compressed allowing the bufferfaces to come into contact, and when the draw bar is moved outward oneof such springs will only be compressed, thereby limiting the forwardmovement of the bar, substantially as described.

3. -The combination of a buffer, a draw bar carrying the coupler, draftirons secured to the car timbers, follower plates loosely mounted uponthe draw bar and traveling in pockets in the draft irons, and two setsof springs mounted upon the draw bar between the follower plates and sorelatively adjusted that one set is compressed prior to the other,whereby as the draw bar is forced in the first set of springs will becompressed and will then be carried backward with the dra-w bar vwhilethe second set of springs is compressed, thereby affording longitudinalmotion to the draw bar equal to the sum or the compression distance ofthe two springs and insuring the contacting of the buffers,substantially as described.

4. The combination of-a draw bar, draftirons secured to thc car timbersand provided with three pockets, follower plates mounted upon the drawbar and traveling in such pockets, two sets of springs mounted upon thedraw bar between the follower plates, one set of such springs beingweaker than the other, and the parts being all relatively proportionedand adjusted substantially as described, whereby when the draw bar isforced in the weaker spring will first be compressed, after which thesecond will be compressed, and as both springs become fully compressedone of the follower plates will contact with the end of its pocket,preventing further inward motion of the draw bar, and when the draw baris drawn out only o ne of the series of springs will be compressed,after which the rearward follower plate will contact with the end of itspocket to prevent too great a motion of the draw bar, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a device of the class described, a draft rigging comprising angeddraft irons adapted to be secured to the car timbers and provided withpockets open at their lower sides, carrier irons bolted to such draftirons to form -the lower side of the pockets, and brace irons bentaround the draft irons and bolted to the car timbers, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination of a draw bar, draft irons secured to the car timbersand provided with a series of pockets, follower plates mounted upon thedraw bar and traveling in such pockets, and two sets of coiled springsmounted upon the draw bar between the follower plates, one set beingcompressible before the other, the parts being adj usted andproportioned substantially as described, whereby as the draw bar isforced in the weaker spring will first be compressed, followed by thecompres- IOC sion of the stronger spring, so that both springs arecompressed in bufting, but when the draw bar is moved outward therearward spring will alone be compressed.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a draw-bar,draft irons secured to the car timbers and provided with pockets,follower plates loosely mounted upon the draft irons and sliding in suchpockets, and springs placed between the follower plates, the parts beingconstructed and arranged substantiallyas described, whereby when thedraw-bar is moved in both springs will be compressed until one of thefollower plates reaches the rearward end of the pocket in which ittravels, when the spring behind such follower plate will cease to becompressed, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the

,combination of a draw-bar, draft irons provided with at least threepockets, three follower plates loosely mounted on the bar and IIOsliding in such pockets respectively, and two outward only one of thesprings will be comsprings mounted between such follower plates,pressed, substantially as described. whereby when the draw-bar is movedin both A v springs will be compressed until the middle CHARLES A'SCHROYER' 5 follower plate reaches the rear eud of its Witnesses:

pocket, after which only the forward spring AXEL J. BIDSTRUP, will becompressed, and as the draw-bar moves FREDERIC G. CHAPLIN.

